


Peppermint Mocha

by darknessbeforedawn



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Coffee, F/M, First Kiss, Lizzington - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-04 22:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darknessbeforedawn/pseuds/darknessbeforedawn
Summary: A little piece of sugary Lizzington fluff for the holiday season.  I hope you enjoy.





	Peppermint Mocha

Red glanced at his watch as he tightened the buttons of his coat against the biting December wind.“Dembe said he’s stuck in traffic.He should be here soon.”A few snowflakes were just beginning to fall as Red and Liz stepped out onto the street.

Liz shivered as she shoved her left hand tighter in her pocket and used her right hand to tug her beanie down tighter over her ears.“Great.In the meantime, there’s a Starbucks across the street.Let’s go get coffee and wait in there until he gets here.”

“Starbucks?Red replied with a smirk.“Isn’t that a bare step above McDonald’s?I thought you were against mass consumerism, Lizzy.Don’t they use those little plastic straws you hate so much?”

Liz glared at him, not entirely sure if he was being sarcastic or serious.“Their coffee is better than McDonald’s.And they have heat, which is something we are lacking on this street corner in the wind and snow so you can join me or not, but I’m going in there.”

“As you wish,” Red replied, his eyes betraying a twinkle.He extended his arm so Liz could cross the street in front of him.

The heat in the Starbucks was blasting and Red loosened his neck scarf as they walked through the door.Red squinted at the menu as they joined the handful of customers waiting in line.“A juniper latte!Doesn’t that sound festive!” Red remarked.“Though I’m not sure that a tree-flavored beverage is appealing.I mean, we don’t drink pine trees, do we?Just because we enjoy a scent at the holiday doesn’t mean it should be part of our food, does it?”

Liz restrained herself from rolling her eyes.“It’s just a marketing tactic,” she whispered.“You can just get a regular coffee.Or a latte.Or an espresso.” 

Red continued to squint at the menu.“What’s a chai latte?That sounds exotic.”

Liz exhaled.“I think it’s some kind of tea with milk.Honestly, you can just get a coffee.Don’t you usually like yours black anyway?”

“What can I get you?” the barista interjected as she glanced sideways from Liz to Red.

“Grande peppermint mocha, please.”Liz replied brusquely as she fished her wallet out of her purse.

“Peppermint mocha?What is that?” Red asked innocently.Liz blinked and stared at him. 

“You’ve never had a peppermint mocha?” she asked, incredulously.

Red smiled slowly.“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, no.”

Liz exhaled again as she handed her card to the barista. “Look, it’s probably not eclectic enough for your tastes but I like it,” she replied defensively.“It’s espresso and chocolate and peppermint flavor.”

Red smiled slowly and then turned to the barista.“Well that’s all the endorsement I need. It sounds marvelous. Make it two,” he replied. 

“What size?” the barista asked. 

“What are the choices?” Red replied without guile.

Both Liz and the barista blinked.“Tall, Grande, Venti,” the barista replied curtly.Red glanced at Liz helplessly.“Grande is a medium,” Liz replied in a low voice. 

“What she said,” Red replied confidently.“Grande it is.And you can use this for both,” Red added he extended his own card and waved away Liz’s.

Liz glared at him.“You don’t need to pay for my coffee.”

“It’s not a matter of need, Elizabeth,” Red replied silkily. “But I’m trying something new at your suggestion.Accept the gesture.Allow me the pleasure of buying your coffee.” 

Liz blinked at him, non-plussed.“Thank you,” she managed tightly. The barista blinked at Red and then quietly handed Liz back her card.

Red nodded, as he gazed around the small shop. “Do you come here often?” he asked eagerly. “They sell mugs!” Oh look - and ground coffee!” Red surveyed the store with an bright look on his face.

Liz exhaled.“Not often.But when there’s one on every corner, they’re hard to avoid.”

Red tilted his head in acknowledgment but didn’t comment further.After a few moments their drinks arrived.Red fingered the green straw and held his cup out in front of him and studied it.“The red holiday cups are festive, I’ll give them that,” he remarked.“Even if they have these plastic straws.Didn’t you tell me these are bad for the birds?”

Liz restrained herself from rolling her eyes.She wasn’t prepared to explain the great Starbucks Christmas cup controversy to him, much less go into the perils of straws and birds.“Let’s go - Dembe should be here any minute, right?”

Red continued to twirl the cup in his hand.“He’ll be here shortly - do I need to do anything to this?Add anything?Or is it just ready-to drink?”

Liz stopped and turned to him.“No, not unless you want cavities.It’s just ready to drink.”

“Very well,” Red replied as he paused and took a sip from his cup.Despite everything, Liz found herself waiting for his reaction.After a few moments of watching him gaze into the distance she couldn’t help but ask. “Well?”

Red hesitated and then a slow grin spread across his face.“It tastes like a candy cane dipped in hot chocolate with a hint of espresso,” he pronounced as he smacked his lips appreciatively. 

Liz smiled broadly.“I couldn’t have described it better myself,” she agreed.Red held the door as she stepped through it and a blast of cold wind hit them both in the face as they exited the shop.They walked quickly to the nearest corner where they huddled near a lamppost and sipped their coffees.

“Is this what you think of, when you think about Christmas?” Red asked as he took another sip as they waited.

Liz paused.“No,” she replied eventually.“I mean, it’s not the main thing.But it’s part of it.Like the smell of chestnuts on the corner.”

Red nodded as he glanced toward the street vendor on the opposite corner.“For me, it’s the smell of pine,” he replied wistfully.“Fresh pine - not the fake scents. Pine and cinnamon,” he added.

“Why cinnamon?” Liz asked.

Red inhaled slowly, as if imagining the scent.“Because my mother used to bake with it during the season,” he replied.“Cinnamon rolls, cake - there was always something in the oven.”

Liz smiled faintly.She hadn’t known her own mother long enough for her mother to bake something but she could appreciate the memory nonetheless.

Red’s phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen.“Dembe’s ten blocks away.The traffic is terrible.Are you up for the walk?Or should we wait here?”

Liz took note of the long line of cars in the intersection in front of them.“It’ll probably be faster if we walk to meet him,” she replied.

They fell into an easy rhythm as they walked as the snow rapidly increased.As she sipped her coffee, Liz found herself focusing more on the individual flavors than she normally did and picturing a candy cane hanging off a mug.Suddenly, her boot slipped slightly on the wet ground but Red quickly caught her elbow. 

“Be careful, Lizzy, it’s slippery,” he murmured.Liz smiled faintly.He hadn’t called her Lizzy in a very long time.She slipped her free hand through his elbow.“Maybe I’d better hold on,” she remarked.

“Maybe you should,” Red agreed as he tightened his elbow against her hand and they continued towards where Dembe was waiting with the car. 

As they walked, Liz found herself suddenly registering the scent of Red’s aftershave and the feel of his damp wool coat against her skin.

The light changed as they approached the next intersection and they had to wait.Liz caught Red staring at her with an inscrutable look on his face. 

“What?” she asked eventually.“You’re staring at me.”

Red cleared his throat.“You have snowflakes on your lashes,” he said huskily as he reached up and brushed them off gently with his glove. 

“Thank you,” Liz whispered as they continued through the intersection and shared a smile.She took another sip of her coffee.Suddenly a long day felt festive - the lights on the stores, the wreaths on the lampposts - the drink in her cup.She felt warm in a way she couldn’t account for.

Finally, they arrived at the car.As Dembe saw them approach, he stepped out of the car and opened the rear door.Red also stepped aside and let Liz enter the car first before sliding in beside her.

Liz glanced at Red as he settled in the seat beside her and Dembe eased the car away from the curb.“You have whipped cream on your lip,” she murmured with a slow smile.

“Do I?” Red chuckled.“Where?”He brushed his hand across his mouth ineffectually.

“Let me,” Liz said in a low voice as she slipped her hand out of its glove.Tentatively, she reached forward and gently brushed the corner of Red’s mouth.She’d never paid much attention to Red’s mouth before but suddenly, she found herself unable to take her eyes off his lips.The corner of his mouth was smooth with just the hint of a shadow.

“Did you get it?” Red asked huskily as he stared at Liz 

Liz felt her heart begin to hammer.What was wrong with her?She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off his mouth, which was now indisputably clean.She licked her lips hesitantly.Red didn’t flinch but continued to meet her gaze evenly.Liz lowered her eyes, almost involuntarily.

I’m not sure I got it all,” she stammered eventually.Slowly, she raised her eyes and reached her finger up again and brushed the corner of his mouth so lightly that, if it hadn’t been for his sharp intake of breath, she wouldn’t have been sure that she’d touched him at all. 

The sharp intake told her what she needed to know.They sat in silence, eyes locked, until Liz leaned in slowly and barely brushed her lips against his.That was the only invitation Red needed before he wound his fingers through the hair on the back of her head and pulled her close to him. His lips tasted sweetly of peppermint as he drew her close to him. 

“Lizzy,” he breathed raggedly as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers with quiet longing. Liz gave herself over to the sweetness of him.His lips were surprisingly firm and there was no hesitancy whatsoever as he kissed her, deeply and passionately. 

Liz was surprised by her own response which was both unexpected and stirred something deep within her than she felt had been buried for a long time.

Eventually Liz pulled away as they both caught their breath and rested her forehead against his as she stroked his lips lightly with her fingertips.“Merry Christmas, Red,” she whispered.

“Merry Christmas, Lizzy,” Red replied softly as he stroked her hair.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought about taking this a step further in another chapter but....let me know in the comments if there's interest and maybe I will!


End file.
